A Different Glimpse
by Nimechan
Summary: The war is over, and fall has arrived - it's time for a picnic. An alternate epilogue.


_Epilogue_

.

Autumn was here, and the air was cool and crisp; it was a perfect day for lunch outside. A snowy white perched on the arm of the bench on the porch of the house and cooed appreciatively as Harry stroked her feathers. The opened letter she brought came from Neville, who apologized for not being able to make it since he was preparing for his first year as a Herbology professor at Hogwarts. Harry understood; though the war was over, people still were busy with the normal things in life.

On his lap was a leather-bound album, different than the one Hagrid gave him his first year at Hogwarts. Harry smiled at the people in the pictures: Sirius and Remus laughing in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, sharing some inside joke; Fred and George grinning mischievously as they stood out in front of their store; Moody snorting as Tonks managed to knock over the troll leg while posing for a picture. All of them were their happy moments during dark times…

"Hullo, Harry. The Sneazles will come after you if you don't wear a scarf in this season, you know."

Harry grinned and looked up, recognizing the dreamy voice immediately. Luna stood in front of his house smiling vaguely, wearing a sensible brown coat and a decidedly less sensible fish patterned scarf. She had stopped wearing radish earrings, but she still wore her butterbeer cap necklace. The caps jangled slightly as she stepped up the stairs of the front porch.

"Hey Luna. I didn't wear one because it wouldn't look as good on me as one does on you," he joked.

"Oh, that's exactly why they won't go for you," she replied seriously.

"You arrived here early," Harry said. "I just finished setting up the table out back a few minutes ago. Want a drink?" They walked inside the house, Luna taking off her scarf and setting it on the kitchen bar table.

"I finished my editorial faster than I thought I would. My trip to Tibet studying wurgeals stayed fresh in my mind, I suppose. Of course," she added, "my apartment's not so far from here that I have an excuse for being late. Lemonade, please."

Harry nodded and poured her a cup. "The Quibbler is doing very well these days," he commented as he handed it to her. "I liked that article supporting werewolf rights in last week's edition."

"Oh yes," she said eagerly. "I received a lot of mail about that as well. Some of them were rather rude, but the others said they really liked it and were going to send letters to the ministry about it, and asked if werewolves really do change their hair color every month."

"One werewolf's son does, at least," Harry laughed, and then checked his watch. "Huh, Hermione usually can get Ron to get to places on time. I wonder—"

He stopped wondering when he heard a car screech outside, followed by yelling.

"Ron, I _told_ you, even though we bewitched the car you still have to stop for Muggles crossing the street!"

"I moved in time! Honestly, Hermione, I passed the driver's test, have more faith in me."

Harry and Luna went back outside. A nice blue Chevrolet was parked neatly on the driveway, and Ron was opening the door for a very disgruntled Hermione.

"You probably confounded him," she muttered, wobbling slightly as she got out.

"I did not," he groused. Harry sees him slip one hand behind his back.

"Honestly, if you just let us Apparate—"

Ron yelped. "Absolutely not! It could be dangerous!"

"Why would Apparating be dangerous?" asked Harry curiously. "She's better at it than you are."

"Oh, Harry! And Luna!" Ron waved cheerfully. "That's something for the lunch table. Ginny and Neville here yet?"

"No. And Neville isn't coming; he's getting his things ready at Hogwarts."

"That's a pity," Hermione remarked as she kissed Ron, a little grudgingly, on the cheek. "I wanted to talk to him about the magical plant life discovered in Scandinavia. Fascinating material, I think."

Ron rolled his eyes but smiled, shrugging to Harry as if saying, 'well, I love her anyway.'

"Might as well get started," Ron commented, "Gin'll probably make it in time for the food anyway."

They all retreated to the back yard, where a table for six was set up and covered slabs of steak, pieces of chicken, and hotdogs were sitting by a grill. Ron and Harry got to work, lazily flicking their wands, and the meat laid themselves onto the grill that was suddenly burning merrily. Luna and Hermione went to the kitchen, and a flurry of kitchen utensils set to work on mashing potatoes, cutting up vegetables, and making soup. They were setting the food on the table when a loud pop was heard and Ginny rushed in from the front.

"Sorry I'm late," she panted, "But I had to sort out my health files and Quiddich license at the Ministry of Magic. My manager wanted it done today, and I got lost in some bloody department."

"For shame, Ginny," Ron reprimanded, "You couldn't find your way around, but you fought the dastardly forces of evil there."

Ginny made a face, and then grinned. "I would've taken longer," she said offhandedly, "but I crashed into Malfoy and he helped me get to where I needed. He was _very_ gentlemanly, too." Ron went white and rocketed off the bench.

"Ginny, I absolutely _forbid_ you from marrying Draco Malfoy," he said, his voice strained and pleading.

Both Ron and Ginny scowled as everyone laughed. "Jeeze, we just saw each other today," she said irritably, then sounding more thoughtful she went on, "But I think he's changed a bit since before. Even though he was a bit stiff, he was actually pretty civil. I guess he learned from his involvement from Voldemort."

"Didn't we all?" said Harry. "I myself learned that I have to live life to the fullest. Now, my stomach is empty and there's a great big feast in front of me – what am I supposed to be doing again?"

"Writing your Auror reports?" asked Luna innocently. Harry coughed embarrassedly.

"Er, that too, but… Come on, Ginny, sit down," he said hurriedly, and she laughed, complying. All of them dug heartily into their meal, congratulating themselves for their good cooking and chugging down bottles of butterbeer Ginny had conjured. Harry was eating the last of his steak when what Ron said earlier occurred to him. He looked over to Ron, where he was fawning over Hermione more than usual, putting corn in her plate as she looked exasperated but nevertheless pleased.

"Say, Ron, what was it you were saving until now to say to us?" Harry asked.

Ron and Hermione both blushed. They both stood up, and Ron cleared his throat.

"As you all know," Ron began, "We've been happily married for quite some time—"

"Yes, even with a few bumps and bruises," Hermione said, nudging him a little.

"—so this really shouldn't come as a surprise, though us, we were, and felt really great about it, mind you, but you know, living with just us so long, someone else coming along is sorta weird, you know, so—"

"He means I'm pregnant," Hermione interrupted, turning red. Everyone jumped as Ginny let out a loud, high pitched squeal and ran around the table to hug her tightly. The two girls jumped up and down, Hermione adding her squeal into the mix. Then Luna went over and joined them, and they jumped around in a circle, laughing happily.

"Congratulations mate," Harry said when he regained his wits, grinning. Ron beamed at him.

"Thanks. She's three months in already, and she's a lot less nervous about it than me."

"I kept telling him Apparating won't harm the baby," Hermione called, "but he thinks that it'll splinch in my stomach."

"You never know!" Ron argued, and Harry laughed.

Later, Hermione and Ron left, calling out their goodbyes and arguing with one another on who should drive. Ginny left too, pecking Harry on the cheek and saying something about practice and an upcoming match against Wasps. Luna stayed a little longer to help with the cleaning up, and with nothing else to do afterwards Harry offered to walk her home.

They went down the beaten path from Godric's Hollow into town. The trees swayed softly in the wind, and leaves floated from the ground. Harry, after listening to Luna talk about the Sneazles ("They'll jump up on you, you know, if your neck is out, and tickle you mercilessly with the feathers on their knees-"), agreed to share her scarf, and they walked close together in order for it to stay on them both. They traveled in companionable silence.

"Everything's alright now," Luna said suddenly. Harry looked at her for a moment, and then nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed, putting light fingers on his scar. It hadn't hurt him in four years.

"Everything's alright."

_~Fin~_

I wrote this roughly a year ago, but since this is about the only story I have actually ever finished, I've gone ahead and posted it. Harry and Luna need more love, anyway.


End file.
